1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner having a cyclone dust collecting device which primarily catches and collects dirt or dust as well as toilet paper, vinyl, and hair.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general vacuum cleaner, as shown in FIG. 1, has a main body 1 of the cleaner, a connection hose 2 connected to the main body 1, a plurality of extension pipes 3 connected to the connection hose 2 and a suction opening 4 connected to the end of the extension pipe 3. A cover 5 is mounted on the main body 1 to be able to be opened and closed and the connection hose 2 is connected to the cover 5. A dust collecting chamber 6 is disposed inside of the main body 1 and a paper filter 7 which collects dirt or dust is placed to be removable in the dust collecting chamber 6. A reference numeral 8 represents a handle.
The general vacuum cleaner as described above suctions dirt together with suction air via the suction opening 4 by the suctioning power of a motor (not shown) installed inside of the main body 1. The suctioned air and dirt enter the main body 1 via the extension pipes 3 and the connection hose 2. Here, the dirt is collected at the paper filter 7 in the dust collecting chamber 6 of the main body 1 and the suctioned air is exhausted to the outside of the main body 1 of the cleaner via the paper filter 7.
In the general vacuum cleaner as described above, however, since the dust and dirt suctioned via the suction opening 4 are all collected at one paper filter 7 in the dust collecting chamber 6 of the main body 1, the paper filter 7 can be easily filled with the dirt. If the paper filter 7 is filled with the dirt, the suctioning force becomes deteriorated and the motor may be overloaded. For this reason, the conventional vacuum cleaner is inconvenient in that the paper filter 7 should be frequently replaced.
To solve the above problem, a vacuum cleaner having a cyclone dust collecting device has been proposed. A cyclone is a device for separating particles in the fluid by using centrifugal force. This device has a simple structure. So, it has been widely used as a dust collector in the industry field and is being used for the vacuum cleaner.
Such a cyclone vacuum cleaner is constructed to primarily catch and collect the dirt of comparatively a relatively large particle size suctioned via the suction opening before the dirt enters the paper filter in the main body of the cleaner. Thus, the quantity of the dirt collected at the paper filter can be reduced and the paper filter can be used for a long time. Further, it has an advantage that the deterioration of the suctioning force and the overload of the motor can be prevented.
Representative examples of the cyclone vacuum cleaner as described above are Korea Utility Model Application No. 1993-4891 (laid-open No. 94-021983) the title of which is Vacuum Cleaner having Cyclone and Korea Patent No. 1993-5099 (laid-open No. 94-020998) the title of which is Vacuum Cleaner.
The former (Korean No. 93-4891) is structured such that a cyclone which can separate and collect the dirt is coaxially placed in the connection pipe of the cleaner. The cyclone has an outer tube, an inner tube disposed in the outer tube, a hopper placed at the lower portion of the inner tube, a suction hose for connecting the head of the cleaner to the outer tube, a vortex finder placed to pass through the inner tube and the top of the outer tube, and a cyclone inlet formed at one side of the inner tube. In such a vacuum cleaner, the dirt of a relatively large particle suctioned via the suction opening is caught and collected by the cyclone, thereby reducing the quantity of the dust collected at the paper filter in the main body of the cleaner.
In the meanwhile, the latter (Korean No. 93-5099) is structured such that a dirt separate collection device for separating and collecting the dirt is disposed at the connection pipe which connects the main body of the cleaner to the suction opening. The dirt separate collection device has a case which has first and second dust collecting chambers inside thereof, a vortex finder formed on top of the case, a connecting unit formed at the lower portion of the case to communicate with the first dust collection chamber, a cyclone separator which is received within the case and has a conical structure in which the inside diameter is gradually reduced from the upper portion to the lower portion thereof, a hopper which is combined to the lower end of the cyclone separator and has a conical structure in which the inside diameter is gradually increased from the upper portion to the lower portion thereof, an inlet filter which is combined to the center of the cyclone separator to separate the first dust collecting chamber from the second dust collecting chamber, a filter which is combined to the top of the cyclone separator to separate the second dust collecting chamber into two, and a vortex brake formed at the lower portion of the cyclone separator. This vacuum cleaner also catches and collects the dirt of large particle suctioned via the suction opening by the dirt separate collection device, thereby reducing the quantity of the dust collected at the paper filter in the main body of the cleaner.
In the conventional cyclone vacuum cleaners as described above, however, since the cyclone (or the dirt separate collection device) is coaxially placed at the extension pipe of the cleaner, the cyclone or the dirt separate collection device should be completely separated from the extension pipe of the cleaner to remove the dirt collected inside thereof.
In addition, the cyclone or the dirt separate collection device of the conventional cyclone vacuum cleaner has a complicated structure, causing difficulty in manufacturing and an increase in the manufacturing cost.